Scrivener Posted June 12, 2004 Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 Yeah, I know there's a 'Riddick' thread, but with all the other stuff in there I figured we'd need a regular old review thread as well. So, what's the verdict? That's hard to explain. It just does so much extraordinarily well - and yet it still manages to muck itself up all over the place. Ultimately, it's worth seeing, but read on if you want more info. For starters, the imagery is simply fantastic. Abso-friggin-lutely wonderful. The technology, the geography, the sets, costumes - all of it - was the most fantastic and yet believable scifi fare I have ever seen. George Lucas should be forced to watch this over and over with eyelids pinned open until he gets physically ill every time he tries to watch his Star Wars remakes. Now for the bad - this movie is chock full of some of the worst, and most poorly delivered one-liners you have ever heard. Stuff like "Damn, I hate when we're not the bad guys." It will make you cringe, squirm, and feel genuinely embarassed for the actor delivering. Most of the fight scenes are so unchoreographed that you are hardly able to follow what is happening on screen. There is motion - and shapes that could be people... maybe... and Twohy's editing is so terrible in these instances that you wonder if the projector is malfunctioning. That is just bad bad bad directing. Also, Vin Diesel does the exact same 'jump-ten-feet-in-the-air-about-to-stab-you' pose no less than THREE times. You wont miss it either, I'm positive they used the same greenscreen footage of him in all three instances. For that matter, he also did the 'hand-behind-the-back-choking-the-badguy-in-the-air' thing about as much. It's like the same fight footage is recycled every time there's a fight scene. Also, Dame Vaako, played by Thandie Newton (contrary to popular belief) had all the skill and acting prowess of a high school drama queen - the kind of drama queen that the entire troupe wishes would just leave and take up tennis. She absolutely rapes her role, ruining every line she delivers with the kind of ability that only comes from naturally being able to suck an egg through a garden hose. That's how much she sucked. Vin Diesel has about four poses - and in the space of two hours he manages to use them all at least a dozen times a piece. Then there's *his* one-liners (all of the characters have them, Vin's just got more) like 'It's been a long time since I smelled beautiful.' *cringe* Twohy also manages to steal great sweeping story elements (and even some dialogue) directly from Shakespear - including MacBeth, Coriolanus, and Othello. To some extent, it works... but several of the characters really screw up when it's their turn to deliver. Despite all this awefulness, it's sad to think that 99% of the film's problems could be solved by better editing. Actually cutting about 10mins worth of lame material would make Riddick an immeasurably better film. Adding back in some footage (about 30min was cut two weeks before release - largely to attain a PG13 rating) in addition to the necessary cuts would make this a marvelous film. There's just a lot of extraneous crap in there. Like gangrene, it oughta be cut out. The only problem that editing wont fix, is Thandie Newton. Seriously, someone needs to a get a restraining order to keep her away from movies. In conclusion: It's worth seeing if only for the spectacle of it. It *is* a marvelous looking movie and has a ton of great story ideas. Ultimately, though - the film suffers from some poor editing and some bad dialogue. It's really a mixed bag. Fortunately there a few spectacular performances - Linus Roache ("The Purifier") and Karl Urban ("Vaako") for instance. It's really a credit to Urban considering his having to play next to Nasty Newton in almost every scene. Hopefully the Extended Unrated DVD will be better cut, but Riddick is still worth your $10, if just barely. It's not like we get much scifi these days anyway. 6.9/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted June 12, 2004 Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 I liked it. Plan on seeing it again tomorrow. Despite TN's massive screw-ups (God, she was bad. Just. Plain. Bad), I give it a 9/10. One thing that kept going through my mind the whole time was, ...damn, I gotta make a space flight sim of this!!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrivener Posted June 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2004 quote: ...damn, I gotta make a space flight sim of this!!!. Have you tried Echelon: Wind Warriors? It's pretty close - just needs the freaky Necromonger ship designs and stuff. Unfortunately there's no space combat in Echelon. SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING AHEAD: They didn't really go into specifics but if the sun were to have such horrible effects on the surface, the only safe way to approach the planet at all would be a carefully plotted course through the planet's shadow - ensuring the sun always remains eclipsed as much as possible. Is that a scary thought or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hellbinder[CE] Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 I completely Disagree with scrivener.. other than his special effects comments. The Script was Good. I and everyone else in the theater (do to loud commentary and "yeahs" etc) LOVED The one liners and the fun dialogue. There was nothing delivered poorly in that entire movie by anyone.. I was not embarrased for any actors or felt anything remotely like that at any point. I thought the one liners were awesome. People all around me were really getting into the movie in a Positive way. As for the Fight scenes.. The big ones you are talking about were INTENDED to show a wash of motion thats hard to follow except you know people are getting offed left and right. I pretty much understood (as do most other people i imagine) this automatically and i PERSONALLY really appriciated the artistic style of it. Overall I completely reject pretty much all of your nonsensical "higher critisism" of this flick as rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hellbinder[CE] Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Btw scrivener, Do you actually understand the concept that this is a MOVIE supposed to be ENTERTAINMENT and not a DOCUMENTARY on interplanetary travel or Classic theater?? Just wondering.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fox__Trot Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Ouch harsh I walked away with an "Eh yeah" feeling Vin Diesel in my oppinion is (already or going to be) a very good actor for some reason when I walked away from riddick I felt an odd urge to load up "Mad Max" and have thus watched all three movies... I still dont know why I felt this way any thoughts? LASTLY I heard many a laugh and even some appaluse during this movie So what'd I think? 22/7 Go see this movie you'll have a lot better time watching this movie then you will finding where the decmial ends in my fraction. *I liked this movie* -Fox 'I would of gone another way' Trot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Lindsey Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 I had a fairly large post then hit that weird key combo that wiped all the text. Ughhh. I agree about half and half with Scrivener and Hellbinder. I didn't mind the dialogue at all. Except that "smell beautiful" line Scriv pointed out. Riddick was never portrayed as a nuclear physicist. I hated those frenetic fight scenes though. Something Scrivener didn't mention (unless it was innuendo) was Riddick's past. Who cares? Why can't he simply be a bad ass? The Lord Marshall's fear of Riddick is straight from the Bible. (my opinion) All in all pretty good movie. 8/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Hellbinder: As for the Fight scenes.. The big ones you are talking about were INTENDED to show a wash of motion thats hard to follow except you know people are getting offed left and right. I pretty much understood (as do most other people i imagine) this automatically and i PERSONALLY really appriciated the artistic style of it.Indeed and I liked that too. It leaves the rest to your imagination. Not all movies have to be gory and graphically depictive of violence. Its one of the things that turned me off Blade2 and its ilk. Even when he killed the Lord Marshall, it was artistic, non graphical etc. I didn't whince once. quote:Overall I completely reject pretty much all of your nonsensical "higher critisism" of this flick as rubbish.I agree 100%. But once you've seen one or two of his reviews, you tend to just ignore him if you so choose; after all, everyone is entitled to their opinions. quote:Originally posted by Cmdr Chavik: Something Scrivener didn't mention (unless it was innuendo) was Riddick's past. Who cares? Why can't he simply be a bad ass? The Lord Marshall's fear of Riddick is straight from the Bible. (my opinion) ...because then there would be no explanation for why he is, who he is or why the Lord Marshall had cause to fear him. Did you listen - carefully - to the description of the Furion race? We knew practically nothing about Riddick in the first movie. He was - as you said - just a bad ass. This movie just ended up giving us a bit of his origin; which in the end, all made sense to me. Without that setup, there would be no explanation of why he could take on the Necromongers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrivener Posted June 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 quote: But once you've seen one or two of his reviews, you tend to just ignore him if you so choose; Ouch ;[ Anyhoo, have you seen Pitch Black? Or for that matter 'Below'? Both are David Twohy films - and he has a very distinct style. Those movies were water tight, never a wasted second. Riddick, being the sequel to Pitch Black - and also a Twohy movie, had certain expectations to live up to. Although I still enjoyed it Riddick just wasn't as clean a film as Twohy normally produces. I'm positive this is 100% due to studio pressure - Twohy films are a little more cerebral and conservative - unfortunately that dosn't equate summer blockbuster. That's where my complaints come from. There's just a better, tighter, more Twohy movie underneath the studio cut in theatres right now. When I evaluate a movie I think in terms of 'Could this film be improved upon?' Could be Riddick be improved? You bet it could. Like the new upcoming Exorcist movie, I'm bummed that there's another better cut of the film waiting around in a vault somewhere for the Extended Edition DVD - one we wont get to see on the glorious big screen =( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Scrivener: quote: But once you've seen one or two of his reviews, you tend to just ignore him if you so choose; Ouch ;[ uhm, don't look at me; I find your reviews amusing, if nothing else. My point (above) was that whoever doesn't like your scathing reviews, can choose not to read them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Lindsey Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr ...because then there would be no explanation for why he isHe had a hard life. He got sent to prison. He got his eyes shined. Some people are just bad asses. Then life makes them even badder asses. I KNEW Riddick was a bad ass coming into this movie and didn't need any other explanation. quote:Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr or why the Lord Marshall had cause to fear him. Did you listen - carefully - to the description of the Furion race? Well, ya got me there. In the context of the movie as seen there was no reason for the Lord Marshall to have an inexplicable fear of Riddick other than that he was a member of the Furion race. There was no reason for the Elemental to want Riddick other than he was a member of the Furion race. So some other explanation is needed. Scriv is right. Pitch Black was TIGHT. This one. Not so tight. But still good. Anyway. The above are just my quibbles with the whole back story. I would have preferred they kept Riddick a bad ass just from a hard life and not introduce a superior race and prophecies and stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hellbinder[CE] Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Correction.. He is the LAST known member of the Fureon race. And according to elemental prediction a Fureon HAS to kill the lord martial. Its all Quite simple if you pay attention. The Priest told the elemental about Riddick and his abilities and it was obvious that he "the last Fureon" was the one to do the job if the Prediction was to be true. It is a tight storyline if you pay attention to the dialogue. I also have seen it Twice now and found the story Quite sound. I suppose if they made it 3 hours long it could have been explained more clearly for some people. But i can clearly see where all the connections within the story are linked together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soback Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 He didn't have the eyes shined in prison, his eyes are like that because he is a Furion. It makes a reference to that when he finds his chick friend in prison and she makes a remark that he is a liar, and when he asks her when did he ever lied to her, she quotes his words when she asked him in Pitchblack, "How do you get eyes like this" and his answer was "You gotta kill a few people" so in Riddick she says "I killed more than a few people, and I still couldn't get eyes like that" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrivener Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 No, Riddick really did get his eyes shined. That is covered in the videogame as well so it's pretty solid. Also - Riddick isn't the last Furion. The Purifier (the priest guy) was also a Furion. It is safe to assume that other Furions may exist - they may be lying low, looking out for No.1, or they may not even know what they are. I also agree with Chavik on the Prophesy/Last Furion bit - why does Riddick have to be some kind of chosen one? Woulda been more fun, IMO, if he just happened to be the one badass guy who threw a wrench into Lord Marshal's plans. *shrugs* I'd have left the Elemental lady out completely. She seemed kind of unnecessary except for VOs. Would've liked Riddick to narrate like in Pitch Black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fox__Trot Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 i want a directors cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Soback: He didn't have the eyes shined in prison, Yes he did. And the priest guy was a Furion before he was converted to a Necromonger; and he clearly was'nt the one. However, if it wasn't for him, Riddick would probably have died on that rock. btw, Pitch Black didn't open to much fanfare and was a cult favorite. Five years later, the sequel opens at #2. Awesome!!! This means we'll most likely see another. Too bad they killed Kyra; man she was sweet [ 06-14-2004, 08:13 AM: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hellbinder[CE] Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Scriv.. I said the last KNOWN Fureon. The other guy was hiding his identity. Plus he was obviously not a totaly kick but guy like Riddick. The bottom line is that Due to the Predictions it was obvious to the elemental that Riddick was the guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hellbinder[CE] Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 I think they screwed up in killing her. With that wacky Power hungary princess chick and her commander It would have been more interesting in a Sequel for Riddick to have Kira with him as his only Aly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Hellbinder: I think they screwed up in killing her.I agree. And I'm still pissed off about it. There was absolutely NO reason to kill her off. They bring her in the sequel - all growed up - only to kill her. I don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Lindsey Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr: quote:Originally posted by Hellbinder: I think they screwed up in killing her.I agree. And I'm still pissed off about it. There was absolutely NO reason to kill her off. They bring her in the sequel - all growed up - only to kill her. I don't get it. I feel that the dichotomy of the two situations juxtaposed was very powerful. Riddick gained everything and lost everything at the same time. And the imagery of where he wound up sitting only reinforced that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrivener Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 AT first I was a little annoyed that she snapped out of it and tried to help Riddick at all - but then I remembered the Furion guy - and Vaako even - so it seems that the Necromongers reprogramming isn't 100% effective. Anyhoo, I wouldn't be surprised if the next movie is Riddick's crusade to resurrect Kyra. You never know what that crazy Necromonger technology is capable of. Maybe it'll have something to do with Lord Marshal's ability to steal souls - and Riddick will try to figure out how Marshal got those abilities. Hmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onikaze Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 I'm playing through the game right now and just got passed the part where you eyes start to shine. I'm kinda mad because Priest doesn't make them shine, and you dont' pay him with 20 packs of cigarrettes for him to do it. Right after Priest patches up your arm , which he does because you retrieved the equivilent of a radio, Riddick just sort of keels over and hears a voice in his head. Then he can see in the dark. I'm dissappointed they didn't stick with the story riddick tells as an explaination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fox__Trot Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 there is an anime of chronicles of riddick that tells the story betwain Pitchblack and the lastest movie that -just- hit movie stores today (Iknow I shelved the thing) dont rember what it's called tho will check soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onikaze Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 pretty sure it's Chronicles of Riddick : Dark Prophecy I really would'nt call it anime though. It's from Peter Chung, The guy responsible for Aeon Flux, Which I tend to think is his best work. Not neccesarily great stuff , but the best work from him. I'm prpbaly going to pick this up though since I like the story/universe though. just saw COR today and thought is was pretty good. Thandie Newton didn't kill the movie as I was expecting , after reading reviews at ACIN. I'm not sure if I saw this elsewhere or not but the ending shot looks almost exactly like the end of Conan TB. BTW I recently got the Director's cut of Pitch Black and cannot figure out what was added back in to make it a "Directors Cut". Did anyone spot extra scenes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cmdr Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Onikaze: BTW I recently got the Director's cut of Pitch Black and cannot figure out what was added back in to make it a "Directors Cut". Did anyone spot extra scenes? /me points LOL!! sucker!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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